Back Home
by RedHal
Summary: Everything is back to normal on Galaluna. Or is it? Ilana and Lance had fallen for each other on Earth, but due to their social status on the home planet, they feel that they can't be together. So, to help make life a tad bit more bearable, Lance decides
1. The Request

Disclaimer: I don't own Sym-Bionic Titan

Summary: after the war against the Mutraddi, Ilana, Lance, and Octus are back on Galaluna with the hopes that life will go back to the way it was. However, after spending a year together on Earth, Lance and Ilana have developed strong feelings for each other. Feeling that they can't act on these feelings due to social reasons, Lance decides to retire early so he could leave the castle and thus to eliminate any temptations.

_**Back Home**_

**Chapter 1: The Request**

There was a roar of the crowd as the war on Galaluna had finally ceased.

Ilana had started getting homesick so Lance cooked up a plan. He, Ilana, and Octus would train Titan in battle. He had even formed an alliance with G3 so they could help them train. Once Titan could wipe out a 50 foot Mutraddi with one hit, Octus found the Rift Gate Tech in Titan and they left Earth to go end the war. After a year of taking care of Mutraddi Monsters, the only hard part for them had been the initial shock that came when they learned who was behind the attack. Luckily, Lance's training had helped and Mondula was defeated.

Now the three heroes were in a carriage being led to the palace as they waved to the cheering crowd.

When they got to the castle, they left the carriage and walked up to the King. Octus saluted, Lance bowed, and Ilana ran into her father's arms.

"Well, that was quite the adventure" Octus mused.

"Yes it was" Lance agreed as he smiled while he watched Ilana reunite with her father

"Now things can go back to normal" Octus added

The smile on Lance's face dropped as did his heart. On Galaluna, the norm was that Ilana was the perky princess and he was the cold-hearted corporal whereas on Earth the norm was that Lance and Ilana were siblings (of course, six months into it, Lance added the word 'foster' for in case his secret had been discovered) and thus equals.

In other words, on Earth, he was worthy of her. On Galaluna, he would be lucky to be in the same room as her.

"Corporal. Octus. Well done" the King congratulated them.

"Thank you" they chorused with Octus saluting and Lance bowing

0000

After the feast and the month-long clean up, Lance was FINALLY able to go to his quarters. Of course, being the person closest to the Princess next to the king, he had been called to help a LOT.

Sure enough, no sooner had he sat on his bed, there was a knock on his door

"Enter" Lance called

The door opened to reveal a familiar looking young man Lance's age who saluted at him

"Corporal Lance" the guard greeted

"Private Arthur" Lance said returning the salute as he stood up

"The King would like a private word in his quarters" Lance's old military school roommate said before leaving the paling Lance

SURELY the King hadn't figured out Lance's secret that truthfully only Octus knew

Lance left his room and went to the King's quarters.

When he got there, he stood in front of the door shaking a bit. Not only was he scared of what the King had in mind, but only the royal family and the commanding general had been allowed. Gathering up his courage, Lance stood tall and knocked on the door

"Enter" the King's voice called

Taking a deep breath, Lance touched the door handle and twisted his wrist and the handle with it thus opening the door.

"Ah. Corporal Lance. Come in" the King said with a fond smile. "Close the door behind you"

Lance obeyed instantly and walked over to the King and stood in front of the taller man

"I would like to personally thank you" the King told Lance "Not only did you protect Ilana as I instructed you, but between you, Octus, and my daughter, the Mega-manus is fully operational"

"You're welcome, Your Majesty" Lance said with a bow

"Now," the King said. "Also, with you and Ilana who had learned a few things from you, clean-up from the war is going faster than anyone could anticipate. I'd say all these things calls for a promotion on you're part"

"Really?" Lance asked wondering if he was hearing right

"Of course. According to your file, only your rash battle decisions and inability to work with others caused you to remain at the corporal level. Well, between you, my daughter, and Octus, you managed to win this war AND only true teamwork can control the Mega-Manus."

It was ALL Lance could do not to twitch at the word Teamwork as ever since watching the show, whenever Lance and Ilana would get into an argument, Octus would start playing that song

"I was thinking either Captain or even General" the King said

Lance's heart skipped a beat. Had it been a year earlier, he would have JUMPED at this.

However, a lot had changed in the year. And the promotion would mean more access to Ilana…who was now off limits.

Actually, being part of the Royal Guard would mean access to Ilana one way or another. He had to get out of the capital. If he was ever going to go back to the way life was before spending the year with the princess.

"With all due respect Your Majesty…" Lance said "I think I would rather retire from the army early"

Whatever the King had been expecting wasn't this.

"Was that time on Earth that bad?" the King asked concerned.

"It wasn't that at all Sir" Lance said. "Just…I feel it would be easier for life to go back to a relative version of normal if I was away for a while. I may return in five to ten years"

The king examined Lance. As a young boy, Lance had been around the palace as his father had been a good friend of the king. Of course, due to social status, he wasn't allowed to play with the princess. But the King had learned to read Lance. After the death of Edward when Lance was eight, the boy had learned to harden his heart. It had grown harder to read Lance, but the King had been able to learn to get a good idea of what the boy was thinking.

It had been part of the reason he had chosen Lance to protect Ilana. Not only had he hoped that some of the responsibility would rub off on her, he had hoped that some of her loving and caring nature would rub off on him causing a bit of the old Lance to return

As the King examined Lance, he realized that the teen corporal was trying to keep up the cold-hearted nature, but it was more of an act than anything. Ilana hadn't rubbed off on Lance. She had almost managed to bring the old Lance back. Something half of Galaluna had been trying to do for eight years

However, Lance was being rather difficult to read at the moment as he avoided eye-contact. Did Lance feel as if he failed in his duty to protect the princess?

"Are you sure this is what you want?" the King asked

Lance's heart was screaming 'No! I want to be near Ilana and protect her with everything I've got'. However, Lance nodded affirmatively.

"It's better for everyone" Lance added

"Well, you've done such a good job, I can't refuse" the King said with a sigh. "We will miss you Lance"

"Thank you Sir" Lance said with a bow as he made to take off his watch that held his armor

"Keep it." The King said with a smile. "As a token of our appreciation and a memorial for your service to this planet"

"Thank you Sir" Lance repeated before leaving

TBC


	2. Figuring Things Out

**Chapter 2: Figuring Things Out**

A week later,

The King was doing some paperwork when there was a knock on his door

"Enter" he called

The door opened to reveal his daughter

"Ilana. What can I do for you?" the King asked as he put aside his work

"Father? Where's Lance? I haven't seen him all week" she asked

"When I offered Lance a promotion, he asked to leave the Royal Army" the King explained

The concerned look on Ilana's face turned into a horrified one

"Lance is gone?" she asked horrified as if she had just been told that she wasn't going to inherit the throne

"it was his decision and I couldn't refuse him" the King informed him

"Can't you bring him back?" she asked

"Is there a reason?" her father asked suspiciously

Realizing how she was acting, Ilana took a deep breath

"Of course not" she said faking calmness, though her eyes shone with worry, fear, and sadness with a touch of anger

The king felt his heart go out to his daughter as she looked as if she had just lost her best friend.

0000

A month went by and Ilana hadn't perked up since learning that Lance had not only left the guard, but the capital. Nothing could cheer the girl up

KNOCK KNOCK

"Enter" the distressed King bade

The door opened to reveal Octus

"You sent for me Sire?" Octus asked in his computer voice

"Yes Octus" the King said standing up. As I'm sure you know, Ilana hasn't been herself this past month ever sense learning of Lance's retirement"

"Yes" the robot said in a confused tone. "When the news reached me, it caught me by surprise as I would have thought that Lance would have wanted to stay near the princess"

"Okay. Now I'm REALLY confused because I offered Lance a position as either Captain or even General. If he wanted to stay near Ilana, he would have agreed"

"Unless…." Octus said before going silent

"Unless what Octus?" the King asked wondering if the robot knew what was going on in the teenager's heads.

"Lance asked me not to say anything after confronting him about it" Octus explained. "And Ilana said the same thing for her situation"

"Octus. If you know something important about my daughter and why I lost one of my best soldiers, PLEASE tell me. As your King, my word exceeds those of Lance's and Ilana's"

"in that case" the robot said "About six months on Earth, I had noticed that Lance was striving extra hard to protect Ilana. At first I had thought it had something to do with the Xeexi Mutraddi three months prior, but then I realized a few more things. Lance would be telling people that he was Ilana's FOSTER brother as our undercover disguise posed the two as siblings. I had also noticed that it was rare when he took his eyes off of her. Naturally, I had thought that he was taking the order 'don't take your eyes off of her' too literally, but then I noticed a few other things. His heart rate sped up whenever she was around and his eyes had this glow that hadn't been present before. When she was happy, he was and when she was upset, he was. When she was hurt, the perpetrator would pay dearly and he was always the first to her side"

"I think I'm beginning to see" the King said recognizing the symptoms. "And Ilana?"

"More or less the same. After about five and a half months on Earth, I noticed that whenever Lance was around, her heart rate would speed up, yet her body would relax as if she knew she was safe. Like Lance, it was rare for her eyes to be off of him and whenever one of the Earth-girls would make a comment concerning Lance's appearance, Ilana would get jealous. Whenever Lance would be hurt physically, she was always the first to his side to tend to the wounds, yet her hands did tend to linger longer than usual. Her eyes also gave off that glow. A couple of weeks after she started exhibiting these signs, she developed a sense of maturity, especially around Lance"

"Okay." The King said with a smile as he had a relatively good idea of what was going on, but something still didn't add up. "And when you confronted them?"

"I confronted them separately, but the reaction was the same. First they denied everything, but eventually, Ilana was quicker to confess than Lance, they admitted that they DID know of their feelings and asked me not to tell the other as both fear rejection. Ilana admitted that she didn't want Lance seeing her as a spoiled princess she believed he saw her as and Lance admitted that he didn't want Ilana seeing him as the cold-hearted soldier he believed she saw him as."

"So, what I'm getting from you is that my daughter fell in love with her guard and vice versa" the King stated

"That is correct. And neither of them knows that the love is requited"

"I don't see the problem" the King admitted. "Edward, Lance's father, was a dear friend. I would have approved of their relationship. Even their union. It's part of the reason why, not only for choosing Lance as the guard, but why I was promoting him so high when he asked to leave us"

"It is of my opinion," Octus said. "That Lance didn't know of your approval. He left because he didn't want to watch Ilana fall for a nobleman and marry as he stood in the shadows with her not knowing she held his heart"

"So he left so he wouldn't have to deal with being around someone he couldn't have" the King figured as the equation finally made sense

"That is the conclusion I came to" Octus confirmed

The King relaxed. If that was the reason Lance left, then that was okay because that could be remedied.

"Now the question is what do we do now?" Octus asked

"Octus?" The King asked after a moment of silence as he considered his options. "Do you think that Ilana would perk up with Lance back here in the palace"

"Most definitely" Octus told the King. "But how do we get Lance back?"

"I believe I have an idea, but I need a word with him."

0000

The next day,

Lance was in the vacation summer cottage his parents had owned before they died. Lance hadn't been to the cottage since his mother died there when he was 5 due to an illness.

The ex-corporal was now reading a book he had bought on Earth as he sat in the sunroom reading. He had spent the month not only straightening up the cottage, but also the land around it using some Earth Plants they had brought back with them (mainly for Ilana's sake as she had grown to love the flora of Earth)

KNOCK KNOCK

Confused, the teen looked up from his book and walked over to the door. He opened it and got the shock of his life

"Octus?" Lance asked confused as he let the robot in. "Is everything alright?"

"Sort of" Octus told Lance. "Reconstruction is going smoothly and is ahead of schedule but…"

"But what? Is the King okay?" Lance asked as worry entered his eyes

"It's Ilana" Octus explained

Sure enough, all color left Lance's face

"What's wrong with her?" Lance whispered, fear and worry in his voice

"Ever since you left, she's been upset" Octus said. "I haven't told HER of what you told me that day on Earth when I confronted you about your feelings for her because truthfully, you need to be the one to tell her"

"I can't Octus" Lance argued

"Her father approves of you and would gladly welcome you into the family as a son-in-law" Octus said

"You told him?" Lance asked accusingly

"You told me not to tell Ilana. You said nothing of her father" Octus argued

Lance sighed. Leave it to the 'Mind of Titan' to find the loophole.

"Even if he does approve…it means nothing without her love" Lance said

"Talk to her" Octus said giving the same advice he had been dishing out since Titan learned to fly

"What can I say to her?" Lance challenged "'Princess, the reason I left the Royal Guard is because I've fallen in love with you'? She'd laugh in my face"

"Try" Octus said

TBC


	3. Confrontation

**Chapter 3: Confrontation**

The next day,

Ilana was looking through the yearbook she had received on Earth. She turned the page and sighed at the picture of Titan. The Mega-Manus would never fly again if she had anything to say about it. She refused to merge with anyone else other than Lance and Octus

KNOCK KNOCK

"Go away!" she snapped

"Princess. It's me" Octus' voice came

"Come in Octus" she sighed

The robot entered the chambers

"Still upset over Lance?" Octus observed

Ilana nodded

"You should talk to him" Octus recommended

"And tell him what?" Ilana asked. "That he should come back because I miss him? He'd laugh"

"Have you given it any thought as to WHY he left?" the robot asked

"Every day, but no valid reason comes to mind" Ilana said

"You should tell him the truth" Octus recommended "About your feelings"

"What?" she asked mortified. "I CAN'T!"

"Try. He may surprise you" Octus said

0000

Three days later,

Ilana was laying on her bed daydreaming about life on Earth when there was a knock on her door

"Go away" she said

However the door opened to reveal Katelyn, a private in the Royal Army who had graduated with Lance.

"I'm sorry your highness" the guard said. "But you have a visitor who's insisting he have a word with you. He's promised that after this, you won't have to see him again"

"Katelyn. I REALLY don't want to see anyone right now" Ilana said

"You're sure. Lance seemed…"

Katelyn wasn't able to say anything else as she had been pushed aside as Ilana went running to the throne room

When Ilana got to the door, she stopped and composed herself. Opening the door a crack, she peeked in.

Sure enough, there was Lance. To most Galalunians, he would be unrecognizable out of uniform, but Ilana knew the look he was sporting.

He was wearing the outfit he had worn on Earth

Ilana closed the door and composed herself. Once she was calm, she stood tall and walked into the throne room and cleared her throat

Lance turned his head towards her and gave her a bow

Ilana couldn't do it. She smiled broadly and ran to him before throwing her arms around him

"Princess?" Lance asked

The title brought her back to reality forcing her to break the embrace and recompose herself

"Sorry." She apologized "Just…it's been so long"

"I took early retirement" he explained

"You left without saying goodbye" she informed him

Lance made to make a retort, but a voice in his head stopped him

_Talk to her. Tell her your feelings_. Octus' voice rang in his head

Lance sighed figuring that since he wasn't going to see her again, he might as well come clean.

"It was already painful. I didn't need the goodbye to add to it" he told her

"Father said that your leaving was your choice" Ilana accused wondering if her father betrayed her

"It was" he confirmed

"Then why leave?" she asked

Lance took a deep breath

"Because there was no way I can serve you and your father under the norm, even if I took the promotion" Lance explained "It was one thing on Earth…with the prospect that there was a chance the only two Galalunians were the two of us. But the war is over and there were survivors. As happy as I am for them… We can't live like we did on Earth Ilana. There, we were equals. Here, you're a princess and I'm just the orphaned son of a scientist….You…You deserve better now that you have the choice"

"Lance?" she asked wondering if she was reading him correctly. Could her feelings for him be requited?

"I have feelings for you Ilana. Something deeper than the sibling relation we strove to have on Earth. Protecting you became more than my mission assigned by your father. It became my life and even if your father told me to stop protecting you I still would" Lance admitted

"Really?" she asked with hope in her voice as he had vocally stated what she had wanted to hear out of his mouth for seven Earth months and almost two Galalunian months

"Yes." Lance said. "But because of social status, I can not act on these feelings and because of this, I left the Royal Guard."

"W-Why are you just now telling me?" she asked wondering why he hadn't said anything before

"Because Octus said that you haven't been yourself since I left and I figured that perhaps if you knew the reason, you would understand better and go back to yourself" Lance said misinterpreting the question

"That explains why you fessed up" she mused, "But what I meant was why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because you are a princess. I was a corporal. We're not socially equal on Galaluna" Lance said "And…I didn't want to tell you before on Earth when I fell because, even if you did learn to love me back once you learned there was more to me than a cold-hearted corporal, we would only be pulled apart when we got back"

"Lance" she sighed with a smile as she shook her head "I've felt the same way. For seven months before we left Earth"

"Really?" Lance asked with hope starting to shine in his eyes

"Really" she confirmed. "I had hoped you could see me as more than the spoiled princess. I never told you because I feared that there was no hope it would be requited"

"Seven months before we left Earth?" Lance repeated

"Yes"

"You only needed to give me one month" Lance informed her. "I fell for you six months before we came back"

Ilana smiled and walked a bit closer to Lance. She then placed her arms around his neck and placed her lips on his. Slowly she felt his arms wrap around her waist.

The two were completely oblivious to the three spies consisting of her father, Katelyn, and Octus who were finally seeing the two the happiest they've ever been.

They were finally home.

The End


End file.
